Lalveril

Smallfolk Commonwealth of Lalveril
Flag Emblem
Anthem: We Smallfolk
Capital	Cirvo Arraim
Official languages	Smallfolken
Recognised regional languages	D'rɑgolɛth, Mystrian Common, Dwarven
Ethnic groups	46% Halfling 25% Gnome 10% Fae 8% Beastling 5% Dwarf 6% Other (Elves, Humans etc.)
Demonym(s)	Smallfolken
Government	Socialist federative semi-direct democracy under a directorial localist republic
• First Citizen	Marlienne Thistlebraid
• Grand Burgomaster	Flynras Cloudhand
Legislature	Grand Moot Council of Elders
Independence
• from High Kingdom of D'halbrisir and the Confederacy of Altea	1930ish?
Area
• Total	3,366,545 km2 (1,299,830 sq mi)
Population
• Estimate	252,017,537
• Density	75/km2 (194.2/sq mi)
GDP (nominal)	estimate
• Total	approx. $4,5 trillion
• Per capita	approx. $18,000
Gini (2021)	0.25 low
HDI (2021)	0.780 high
Currency	Kast (SFK)
Time zone	(Mystrian Standard Time)
Date format	dd.mm.yyyy
Driving side	right
Internet TLD	.lal

The Smallfolk Commonwealth of Lalveril, commonly known as just the Smallfolk Commonwealth is a country located in Mystria. It borders Crystal Spires to the east and El Nido to the west, occupying an area of 3,3 million square kilometers with a population of 250 million. Its capital and largest city is Cirvo Arraim. It is populated mainly by Halflings and Gnomes, with notable minorities of Fae, Dwarves and other humanoid beings of small stature known collectively as "Smallfolk".

Halflings have populated the area for centuries, intermingling and trading with the gnomes native to the faelands of El Nido. However, for the longest time there was no true centralized state, halflings preferring to live in small independent villages and city-states. These communities grew with a steady stream of refugees from the monarchic regimes of Crystal Spires and Altea, where smallfolken were treated as inferiors and frequently enslaved. A particularly large wave of migration happened in the 19XX following a series of smallfolken riots against castism and speciesism in Crystal Spires and Altea. Punitive raids into Smallfolken territory by Spirean Royalists triggered the Smallfolken War of Liberation in which the Smallfolk emerged victorious using guerilla tactics. In the wake of the conflict, an independent Smallfolken state was declared under the auspices of the Leveller Party, a confederacy of agricultural communities based on ideas of agrarian socialism.

Politically, the Smallfolk Commonwealth is a democratic socialist federation consisting of over 40,000 agricultural communes superdivided into 24 shires. Supreme legislative power belongs to the Grand Moot, a legislative congress of 2,001 locally elected deputies that convenes once every 5 years to deliberate the highest matters of the state, outline the economic plan and form the agenda for the next 5 years. The Grand Moot appoints a Council of Elders to serve in lesser legislative capacity in the 5-year interim, and elects a First Citizen as the head of state with limited executive powers.

The Commonwealth is a developing country by Mystrian standards. The economy is socialistic and combines elements of central and decentralized local planning, with private property on the means of production being non-existent; although co-ops and individual enteprises constitute a part of the economy. Many services are provided locally on a communal basis. While this system provides a high degree of economic equality and safety, the country faces certain developmental challenges. The economy, although industrialized, is still highly agriculture-oriented with over 30% of the population being involved in agricultural production. The Commonwealth is one of the largest exporters of raw and processed foodstuffs in Mystria, especially staple products like grain. Development of organic farming and renewable energy sources has been a focus in the latest 5-year plans.

Geography

The Commonwealth's landscape is very even and dominated by rolling fields, plains, mixed forests and low hills. This provides an abundance of arable land, with over 80% of the country's landmass being suitable for intensive agriculture. Elevation is relatively scarce; while a small area of Fornt's Crown Mountains extends into the country, mountains occupy less than 1% of overal landmass. The highest point outside of Fornt's Crown is only 1,000m above the sea level. In the recent years, the Fryhet Desert has slightly expanded inside the Commonwealth's borders in the northwest, causing mild environmental concerns which have been counteracted with planting barrier forests. Several large rivers run through the country, the largest being River Vervyn with a length of over 2,000 kilometers, which has been important for agriculture.

The country's pleasant green landscapes, clean environments and relatively mild climate have made it an attractive target for tourists.

Climate

The Commonwealth enjoys a temperate, no dry season, warm summer climate almost throughout, with the exception of a subtropical clime and a small tropical clime located in the south of the country along the Catralian Sea shoreline.

Wildlife

The chicken is the national bird of the Commonwealth. The country is home to species of giant chickens some of which can reach up to and over 150 cm in height

The Commonwealth is a highly biodiverse country, although somewhat less diverse than its neighbors due to a more uniform geography. It is home to hundreds of distinct species of fauna and thousands species of flora. The plains of the Commonwealth are home to wyverns, gorgons, unicorns, cockatrices, bullettes, wargs, otyughs and giant moas, as well as more conventional species such as goats, wolves, wild boars and buffalo.

Megafauna is a major security and environmental concern, with the Smallfolk Liberation Army and People's Adventuring Guild being regularly involved in confronting and controlling migrations of megafauna such as dragons, behemoths, giant elementals, shambling mounds and many others.

Government and politics

De jure the Smallfolk Commonwealth is a socialist federative semi-direct democracy under a directorial localist republic that comprises 40,000 communes superdivided into 21 regions or shires. The Articles of the Commonwealth are the document that serves as the constitution that outlines the political structure of the state. Under the Articles, citizens are subject to three levels of government: federal, shire, and local (commune). Communes and shires are afforded broad political autonomies in electing their own executives and legislators, setting their own laws and formulating local economic plans.

Central government

Every five years, a Grand Moot convenes in the capital, Cirvo Arraim. The Grand Moot is an assembly composed of 2,001 deputies and vested with absolute legislative power by the Articles of the Commonwealth. It can make any law and constitutional amendment with no limitations as long as a majority consensus is met. Its decisions can only be repealed by referendum or the Moot itself. The Moot's main responsibilities are to deliberate matters of highest national importance, outline the goals of the 5-year plan, make strategic diplomatic and military decisions, appoint and recall national-level politicians.

Each individual commune nominates deputies to the election list. The method of selecting nominees varies from commune to commune - some use a form of multiple choice vote, some use random sortition and others hold various competitions and nominate the winner. 2,001 deputies are then chosen from the list of nominees (that can contain up to 1 million names or more) to sit on the Grand Moot, using sortition.

Upon convening, the Grand Moot appoints a variety of committees and bureaus to oversee the execution of its decrees, and selects a Council of Elders to serve as the country's directorial government in the 5-year interim between Grand Moots. The Council of Elders counts 201 councillors and is charged with day-to-day lawmaking, distribution of ministerial portfolios and other government posts, overseeing cooperation between Shires and the execution of the economic plan. The Council is headed by the Grand Burgomeister as well as 20 High Aldermen who serve as the collective head of government.

The current First Citizen, Marlienne Thistlebraid

The head of state of the Commonwealth is the First Citizen. The title of the First Citizen is also bestowed by the Grand Moot, usually on someone from a pool of highly distinguished and popular persons in the country. The selection of the First Citizen is typically a lengthy debate and if a consensus is not met, sortition may also be used. Once one is chosen as the First Citizen, they may not decline to serve in this capacity as it is seen as a civic duty, and have to rule for at least 90 days before resigning. The First Citizen's executive powers are relatively limited. They have the right to veto the decisions of the Council of Elders if they haven't passed a supermajority. They meet with members of the government to discuss and guide policy, and approve ministerial appointments. The First Citizen also serves as the "face" of the state both at home and abroad, attends diplomatic functions and serves in ceremonial roles such as bestowing state honors.

The Leveller Party dominates all levels of the government to the point where the Commonwealth can effectively be described as a single-party state. Other parties are not prohibited, but find it hard to generate interest and compete with the influence of the ruling party outside of low-level local elections. However, because of the apartisan nature of the political system and a wide range of left-wing viewpoints and caucuses within the Leveller Party, international observers have described the country as relatively democratic.

Regional, local governments and subdivisions

The basic political unit of the Commonwealth is the commune. There are some 40,000 communes which vary in size and population from a conglomeration of several small hamlets or several suburban neighborhoods to an entire town. Communes have broad autonomies and may elect their own leadership, promulgate local laws, petition for exemption from regional and federal law, and formulate their own economic plan (as long as it meets certain federal and regional quotas). The exact political, demographic and economic makeup of a commune can vary very heavily.

Communes are superdivided into 21 Shires which serve as a more conventional national subdivision. A Shire has its own elected Over-Burgomeister and Shire Aldermanate which serve to facilitate cooperation between the communes of a shire, carry out shire-level economic planning and promulgate laws that affect things above the commune level. A shire government's level of control over its constituent communes is limited.

Shire	Capital	Population
Do Cirven	Cirvo Arraim	24,000,000
Lavyl Ovlyl	Osyl	20,000,000
Cid Ardairn	Teashire	18,000,000
Anrumil	Oldhallow	14,000,000
Besemeln	Copperholm	13,500,000
Dunrenild	Freeguard	13,000,000
Yad Zaivlin	Neverreach	12,000,000
Nulm Vuslin	Nettlerun	11,700,000
Galmorn	Plumborough	11,500,000
Di Unlem	Duvli	11,000,000
Millanuil	Figward	10,600,000
Fi Zulder	Zirdini	10,300,000
Ruvliden	Farwatch	10,000,000
Khulmin	Shimmerpost	9,600,000
Ad Fellerd	Duskmeadow	9,200,000
Sunri	Pearidge	8,600,000
Rasler	Maplepoint	8,000,000
Lern Vedryln	Bellmeadow	6,800,000
Fonmyr	Minthold	6,500,000
Durlyn	Sunbreak	5,200,000
Zidir	Nethevin	4,900,000

Military

Banner of the Smallfolk Liberation Army

The Commonwealth's military consists of the Smallfolk Liberation Army, Smallfolk Liberation Navy and Smallfolk Liberation Air Force. The First Citizen is notionally the Commander-in-Chief of the military, but only in a ceremonial role. The actual command of the military lies within the Defence Commission and the High Constabulary (general staff).

The armed forces receive an annual budget in excess of $60 billion (~1,5% of GDP) and employ 1,5 million active personnel as well as 2 million reservists. Personnel is enlisted via a system where the federal government publishes an yearly demand for manpower and each commune meets a quota based on its population. The recruitment method varies by commune: whether using the draft, a lottery or purely through volunteering.

The Smallfolk Liberation Army is the principal and the largest branch of the military, in charge of operating all terrestrial military assets including but not limited to infantry, artillery, armored forces and land-based long-range missiles. Though the SLA's budget and technology level is middling at best by Mystrian standards, its tank and artillery forces are considered competitive. Owing to a variety of factors, from the country's even and traversable landscape to the beneficently small stature of prospective tank drivers, the SLA has developed a robust if not overly large tank force and a doctrine of armored breakthrough.

The Smallfolk Liberation Navy is the second largest branch. It is considered a green-water navy with ambitions of transitioning to blue-water capability. It operates an aircraft carrier, two helicopter carriers and two missile cruisers as the core of its surface capability, with over 200 other surface vessels from frigates to patrol boats. The Navy has historically been more submarine-focused, and currently operates 10 nuclear attack submarines, 5 nuclear missile submarines and dozens of diesel-electric attack submarines.

The Smallfolk Liberation Air Force is the smallest branch, responsible for operating military aircraft and aerospace monitoring assets. It flies some 2,000 aircraft in total. Despite not being very large or exceptionally well-equipped by Mystrian standards, it is at least well-trained and has been aiming to modernize its flight park by procuring large numbers of modern aircraft from Crystal Spires in the recent years. For now, Su-34 and Su-35 form the core of its combat wing.

Notably, Commonwealth Armed Forces extensively utilize magic, employing thousands of trained battle wizards and sorcerers (mainly gnomes). Battlemage Academies in Cirvo Arraim and Neverreach are magic schools specifically tasked with training military magic users. Magic items are used to enhance the fighting capability of troops, and technologies that incorporate and harness magical energies have been developed. Commonwealth troops also possess capacity to counteract hostile magic, whether by their own battlemages' dispelling efforts or by using special dispel munitions incorporating the anti-magic material dweomerite.

Foreign affairs

Foreign relations are handled by the First Citizen, the Council of Elders and the Foreign Affairs Commission, with the latter being responsible with the distribution of embassies and consulates.

After the revolution in Crystal Spires, it became the Commonwealth's closest economic and diplomatic partner for decades. However, High Chancellor Maven Auryn's risky diplomatic escapades and the market-oriented Open Hand Policy led to severe diplomatic scandals between the two nations, raising concerns of Crystal Spires "betraying socialism", muscling Smallfolk out of the regional agricultural market using its vast and cheap work force, and even dragging the Commonwealth into war. Relations nearly ended and the Commonwealth spent several years in near complete diplomatic isolation. Recently, however, the Commonwealth has tried to restore its diplomatic presence by re-normalizing relations with Crystal Spires as well as reaching out to Malgrave, Rohane Alista and the broader Mystrian community. The Commonwealth's primary goal in foreign relations is securing regional peace and seeking help in its industrial and technological development. While the Commonwealth is a socialist nation, it doesn't aggressively pursue the spread of its ideology, although it prioritizes relations with similarly-minded left-wing nations.